Amazon, a leading online retailer, has announced its intention to reduce its workforce by 16,000 employees globally. Although specific details on the affected locations were not disclosed, reports suggest that the impact on the UK workforce may be minimal. The areas speculated to be affected include Amazon Web Services, retail operations, Prime Video, and human resources.
This recent round of job cuts follows a previous announcement in October where Amazon revealed 14,000 job redundancies. Beth Galetti, the Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology at Amazon, addressed the staff regarding the layoffs, acknowledging the challenging nature of the news and emphasizing the company’s efforts to assist those impacted by the workforce reductions.
Galetti outlined that approximately 16,000 roles across Amazon would be affected and highlighted the support being provided to employees, particularly in the US where affected workers will have 90 days to seek alternative roles within the company or receive severance pay.
Despite the layoffs, Galetti assured employees that Amazon remains committed to hiring and investing in key strategic areas crucial for the company’s future growth. She clarified that the company’s goal is not to implement frequent large-scale reductions but to continuously evaluate and adjust operations to meet customer needs in a rapidly changing business environment.
An incident occurred where Amazon inadvertently notified employees in its Web Services division about the impending job cuts through an email and meeting invitation sent prematurely. The email, mistakenly stating that employees in the US, Canada, and Costa Rica had already been informed of their job loss, led to the prompt cancellation of the scheduled meeting.
It is suggested to subscribe to the Mirror Money newsletter to receive exclusive money-saving tips and top offers directly to your inbox.